‘Rocketman’ movie review

Elton John is a musical icon. If you’re creating a biopic about him, you’ll want to cater to his raving fans AND entertain the regular movie-goer at the same time. Incorporating his music wherever possible and having Elton himself on as an executive producer is a good way to go about it. That’s exactly what Rocketman did.

Rocketman takes a uniquely entertaining approach to telling the story of Elton John’s story of pain and redemption on the road to superstardom.

A Fun Night Out

The approach to Rocketman makes it feel more like a Broadway show on screen than a movie. The film attaches John’s songs to certain times and moments in his life, turning it into a sort of sing-a-long while getting his story. It’s a good mix of entertainment while learning just how difficult his upbringing was.

The audience gets a look inside Elton John’s head and what drove him to create the songs he did throughout his career.

This is the main reason why people who are Elton John fans will fully enjoy Rocketman. I was personally surrounded by 5 or 6 people who were singing, dancing, and crying along with the songs in the screening I attended. Most full theaters will have the same experience.

Another strong theme of the movie is the redemption story. The story showcases Elton as a boy up through the time he got sober. Much like the songs he created, it’s easy to see why he had the struggles he did in his life. It’s a classic “nothing is ever good enough for my parents” story, only turned up to 11. There’s also a powerful scene where he faces his demons head on all at once, which will resonate.

This is why it’s so important that Elton John himself is a producer of Rocketman. The story feels real and raw. His approval is obviously an integral part of that. It adds an element that good biopics have, but most lack.

Elton Is Still Standing Tall

Another thing Rocketman does well is the dance between real life and fantasy. Elton John himself crossed those two worlds and shared it with his fans through his songs and performances. To fully tell his story the same would have to be true about the film.

The creativity of the movie matches the creativity of the man it details. That’s no simple task.

This rings true depicting performances; when it’s most welcome. The star of the show is a particularly famous performance at the Troubadour. The scene is fully immersive and captures exactly what director Dexter Fletcher, writer Lee Hall and the rest of the crew are going for.

Taron The Rockstar

It feels odd taking this long to get to Taron Egerton‘s performance as Elton because it’s great.

It’s clear that Egerton put in a ton of work behind the scenes in turning himself into Elton John, because it’s effortless on-screen.

Egerton has the look(s) and mannerisms down throughout the movie. He also does the singing in the film, which adds another dimension to his acting prowess. He displays emotion on-screen that makes you feel emotion in the audience.

In other words, he gets totally lost in his performance and it’s necessary to make Rocketman the movie it is.

Should I Go See Rocketman?

Are you an Elton John fan? You were probably going to see Rocketman anyway, but it’s an enjoyable watch for you. Looking to be entertained for two hours this weekend? It’s an enjoyable watch for you too.

About Steve Richards

First and foremost, I love anything Philly sports; that includes the Phillies, Sixers, Eagles, Flyers and Union (that’s a soccer team). I’m also a fan of the English Premier League squad Manchester City. In the college ranks, I follow the football, basketball, and baseball teams of both Penn State and the University of Texas. I work for SportsNetworker.com, where I am the COO. I also cover a variety of high school sports for The Reporter and PaPrepLive.com as a freelance writer. On the broadcast journalism side of things I'm a co-host of the Prime Time Fantasy Football and Showcast podcasts on Next Level Radio. You can check that out right here. You'll also find me on Twitter discussing a multitude of things. Feel free to give me a follow over there.

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About Steve Richards

First and foremost, I love anything Philly sports; that includes the Phillies, Sixers, Eagles, Flyers and Union (that’s a soccer team). I’m also a fan of the English Premier League squad Manchester City. In the college ranks, I follow the football, basketball and baseball teams of both Penn State and the University of Texas.

Currently, I'm a project manager for a company called Project Life Mastery. It's a company whose ultimate purpose is to grow, give, and support people in reaching their ultimate goals in life. We have a lot of fun while also being productive and helping people. Check us out when you have a chance.

As a writer I'm a freelance reporter for my local newspaper, The Reporter, and PaPrepLive.com. I cover a variety of high school sports on those platforms. I also write a variety of pop culture content for an awesome site called Pure Fandom.